I’m all about a fabulous structured bag for most of the year, but summer time calls for something a bit more relaxed. There’s something so organic-yet-polished about a classic leather tote. I recently bought the Cuyana short leather tote in caramel for myself and carry it with me everywhere. It’s perfect for city living, trips to the farmers’ market, and lazy days at the beach. The optional gold foil monogramming adds something extra special and maintains an air of sophistication against the raw-edged leather.
Thai food is my absolute favorite kind of take-out. Besides Pad Thai (obviously), my go-to dish is yellow curry with chicken. I’ve been enjoying it for years and never stopped to think that I might be able to whip it up at home just as easily as ordering out. I found a recipe online and heavily modified it to my liking. If you’ve never tried yellow curry, I highly recommend it. It has a unique flavor that makes it anything but ordinary!
Heat coconut oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Stir yellow curry paste into oil. Add chicken; stir to coat each piece and cook thoroughly.
Pour 1 can coconut milk into skillet and stir until curry paste is completely dissolved and the coconut milk begins to bubble (3 to 5 minutes). Pour in remaining coconut milk and chicken stock; stir. Add the sriracha sauce. Add the potatoes, pineapple chunks, and bamboo shoots. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer until potatoes are tender (about 30 to 35 minutes). Remove from heat. Serve over Jasmine rice.
There’s a lot more to great hair than meets the eye. Many women (me, included) struggle with frizzy, unruly hair on a daily basis. It seemed like no matter how many anti-frizz/smoothing/sleek hair products I slathered on, nothing worked. True confessions: up until about a week ago I was still using my old Conair hair dryer from college. I honestly didn’t think that expensive hair dryers were worth the investment and had little overall effect on frizzy hair. As it turns out, I was pretty darn wrong. Your hair should be your crowning jewel, ladies.
I decided to give it a shot and started looking at new hair dryers on Amazon (because nothing else I was doing was working). After browsing around, I decided to order the BaByliss Pro BABP2800 porcelain ceramic 2000-watt dryer. However, even at $52.99 (which is very reasonable for a professional-grade dryer), I was hesitant to pull the trigger and it sat in my cart for a month and a half. About a week ago I decided to take the plunge and order it, along with a new round brush (more on that later…).
Rockin’ the second day blowout.
This hairdryer BLEW all of my expectations out of the water (pun intended). With my old hair dryer, I would spend a sweaty hour rough drying, sectioning, and blasting my poor hair with lukewarm air. It would start to frizz and curl the moment I walked outside.
With this new dryer, it was the next best thing to a professional blowout. My hair felt like it had been washed with angel tears and was drenched in shine. Remember what I said before about hot heat being the key to a sleek blowout? This dryer reaffirms that notion; this dryer gets HOT. I think that the warm setting is plenty hot enough and that you should proceed with caution should you decide to use the hottest setting (it may damage color-treated/weak hair).
This dryer has a lower pitch than my last dryer which, while not necessarily quieter, is less irritating. It also came with a precision nozzle for extra-concentrated air flow, which amplifies the sleekness of my strands (it’s about as powerful as a jet engine, too). Remember what I said about the hot getting hot? The cold shot on this dryer gets cold. Like, air conditioning cold. Perfect for sealing those cuticles and locking in shine.
Quit fooling around with cheap hair dryers. If you have long, thick, curly or frizzy hair, get this dryer. It will make your life.
Sadly, the same cannot be said for the new Olivia Garden round brush I bought. I really like the size and it seemed like a nice quality, but it couldn’t withstand the heat of my new dryer and the bristles have already started to melt! Do you have any recommendations for ceramic round brushes that can withstand blazing hot heat?
No matter how many peplum tops or printed pants you may have, the foundation of every wardrobe rests on quality basics. Good-fitting, quality basics can be hard to find, however. Cheap fabrics can unravel or shrink in the wash, leaving you with misshapen, lumpy or frayed tanks and tees. Here are some of my favorite places to shop for the wardrobe basics that get you through every day and make your outfits look complete. Hover over each image to shop!
ASOS has a little bit of everything, but I especially like their casual tee dresses. So effortlessly cozy and perfect paired with ankle boots for running errands on sunny days.
I love to supplement my wardrobe with everyday basics from H&M. They have a great selection of affordable, easy-to-accessorize dresses appropriate for work. Their loose tanks are also crazy-cheap and look great with jean shorts.
My latest obsession (Sawyer loves them too!) is Uniqlo. They didn’t have a storefront anywhere in New England, so the store was new to me when I moved to SF. They have so many great basics, but I especially love their button-down oxfords (high-quality cotton and fits so well) and AIRism camisoles. I recommend ordering a size down so they’re snug and can double as shapewear.
I’m not sure if it’s possible to have too many of these Forever 21 jersey pencil skirts (I have 4… 5 maybe?). So easy to dress up or down and insanely affordable. For the best classic v-neck tee, I love Madewell (obviously). It has the perfect weight, draping, and never shrinks or stretches out no matter how many times you wash it.
What are some of your can’t-live-without wardrobe basics?
With summer officially upon us, it’s time to dive head-first into your summer reading list. Whether you’re lounging on the beach, by the pool, or taking a cross-country road trip, these titles won’t let you down. Let’s get started!
Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) by Mindy Kaling: Mindy Kaling is one funny lady. Her hilariously girly narration makes it feel like you’re hanging with your bestie. I laughed out loud so.many.times. It’s a feel-good read for any girl.
The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt: This book may be 700+ pages but it sure didn’t feel like it. I ripped through this book in record time because it was so gripping. Donna Tartt is an incredible writer and every character was twisty and complex – a magnetic novel about a tragic loss. I highly recommend.
Dad is Fat by Jim Gaffigan: It’s no secret that I have a serious soft spot (bordering on obsession) for Jim Gaffigan. What more can I say? The man is hilarious. Even people without kids will appreciate the hilarity of this book.
Never Have I Ever: My Life (So Far) Without a Date by Katie Heaney: Oh, Katie. We’ve all almost been in your shoes. In a different life, all of us could have been in your shoes. This book felt like reading the voice of girls of our generation. Refreshingly honest and spot-on – I couldn’t put it down.
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn: I’m only about halfway through this book (so I don’t know how it ends) but I’m so enraptured. It’s a sneaky and viperish thriller. Read it.
A few weekends ago, I whipped up these fluffy banana pancakes from a recipe I found on Pinterest. They were so easy and received boyfriend-approval. They’re also gluten-free and paleo. Try them this week for a healthy and easy breakfast!
Ingredients
4 eggs at room temperature
1/4 cup coconut flour
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 banana mashed
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tsp baking soda
Chocolate chips (optional)
Directions
Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl until a thick, yellow batter forms.
Melt coconut oil in a heavy-bottomed skillet, pour in palm-sized dollops of batter and add chocolate chips. Cook over medium-heat for 3-5 minutes. Be careful when flipping as the pancake batter is fragile. Recipe should yield about 4-6 smaller pancakes.
Top pancakes with the other 1/2 of sliced banana, maple syrup, and sweet cream butter.
Cuyana tote; Madewell flats; H&M skirt
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. However, even at $52.99 (which is very reasonable for a professional-grade dryer), I was hesitant to pull the trigger and it sat in my cart for a month and a half. About a week ago I decided to take the plunge and order it, along with a new round brush (more on that later…).
I bought. I really like the size and it seemed like a nice quality, but it couldn’t withstand the heat of my new dryer and the bristles have already started to melt! Do you have any recommendations for ceramic round brushes that can withstand blazing hot heat?
